Fans petition Vancouver Whitecaps for refunds after Messi no-show

Soccer fans are demanding refunds from the Vancouver Whitecaps after several stars — including Argentinian legend Lionel Messi — failed to play at a recent Major League Soccer game at B.C. Place that cost hundreds of dollars to attend. 

A petition calling for compensation and more transparency from the club had gained more than 2,500 signatures as of early Thursday, a few days after the game against Inter Miami — which has several star players on its roster including Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets and World Cup winner Messi.

Ahead of the game, news broke that Miami would be keeping their top players in Florida due to a busy league schedule. 

In response, the Whitecaps announced a 50 per cent discount on food and drinks at the game, as well as a free meal combo for fans aged under 18. The club later offered free tickets to another regular season game in 2024 to all fans who attended. 

Still, many were left disappointed and frustrated.

"The use of Messi, Suárez, and Busquets in promotional materials has misled fans into believing they would see these stars play, leading to significantly higher ticket prices," Rachele Renzi, the Vancouver resident who started the petition, said in a release.

The petition says prices set by Ticketmaster and the Whitecaps ranged from $300 to more than $600 and "are not justified without these star players." It says Whitecaps tickets usually cost around $30.

The food and drinks discounts were "not sufficient" as compensation, it adds. 

Shiraz Dindar, who lives on Vancouver Island, said he got tickets to the game as a surprise for his son's 11th birthday. He said his son was devastated when he learned his idol Messi wouldn't be playing in Vancouver. 

"He was